Working on the Wild Side

Two Grant's Zebras hanging out at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Last Tuesday evening, the University of Oklahoma’s Pre-Vet Club invited Dr. Jennifer D’Agostino, head veterinarian at the Oklahoma City Zoo, to speak at Sutton Hall.

“We’ve never had a zoo veterinarian speak at our meetings, so I thought inviting Dr. D’Agostino to share her experiences dealing with exotic animals would be something new and interesting,” said Katie Fenwick, the Pre-Vet Club’s president.

            Dr. D’Agostino has worked for the Oklahoma City Zoo for nearly ten years, since she began her residency there in 2003.

            “I’ve known that I wanted to be a zoo vet since I was seven years old. I don’t really know why though. My family hardly ever went to the zoo when I was growing up. Sometimes you just know that this is what you were made to do,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            Although the rewards of being a zoo veterinarian are very fulfilling, it was a long, hard road to get to where she is today.  According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (aza.org), the total number of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums in the U.S. is 225. Therefore, the zoological medicine field is a very competitive and not-so-high in-demand job market to get into.

            In addition to speaking about how she got started in zoological medicine, Dr. D’Agostino also talked about the challenges of her job as head veterinarian.

            “Working with dangerous animals, having limited information about rare species, and having limited examination ability on large animals are just a few of the main hurdles I come across every day at the zoo,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            Dr. D’Agostino describes herself as being a generalist in her profession—she knows a little bit about a lot of animals.

            “There are thousands of species I work with, so it’s impossible to know everything about every single animal. If I at least know a little about each animal, that’s extremely helpful in my job. When we need to treat exotic animals for a disease, we just look at a more common animal closest in species. For example, if we need to treat an exotic cat for a disease, we find out what works in domestic cats, and usually we can use that same treatment for the exotic cat,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            Zoo veterinarian’s roles range from the animals’ general health to conservation to reproduction. According to Dr. D’Agostino, most of the breeding that occurs at the zoo is intentional.  The newest addition to the zoo is a three-week old giraffe male, named Sergeant Peppers.

            “Sergeant Peppers is the son of Bogy and Ellie. He was born on January 17 of this year with no complications,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            The new giraffe is not old enough to be seen yet by zoo visitors. However, his parents are able to be viewed, weather permitting.

            “If it is at least 40 degrees, the giraffes will be let out of their indoor homes. Unfortunately if it is below 40 degrees, the giraffes may develop hypothermia, so they can’t be viewed in those cold weather conditions,” said John, a giraffe zookeeper at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

            “The numbers vary, but there tends to be a good handful of baby animals born every year at the zoo,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            Although new births are not something that occur every day at the zoo, Dr. D’Agostino loves her job because every single day is different.

            “In order to have my job, you need to be adaptable and able to think on your feet. That’s what I love about being a zoo veterinarian. Every day I get to experience something unique and exciting. There’s definitely never a dull moment,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information and special events, visit the zoo’s website at okczoo.com.